


Coming Home To Something New

by Moonbeam (luvsbitca)



Category: Sky High (2005)
Genre: F/M, Yuletide 2013
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-22
Updated: 2013-12-22
Packaged: 2018-01-05 13:40:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,262
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1094521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/luvsbitca/pseuds/Moonbeam
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eight years have passed since the events of the movie. Three years ago Warren left and hasn’t been heard from since. Everyone else kept living their lives, with the addition of one small person, and when he comes back he will have to come to terms with the new state of his life and some things from his past as well. </p><p>Written for yuletide 2013.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Coming Home To Something New

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fujiidom](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fujiidom/gifts).



> **Disclaimer –** I don't own anything, but oh the fun that could be had if I did and the movie would have ended differently.
> 
> This is set so that the time that has passed since the movie has also passed in the movie verse so they are in their mid-twenties assuming my maths is right.
> 
> For fujiidom and the following request:  
> Ideally this would be romantically themed because I adore these two and the way the movie had things going I really thought they were gearing up to veer in this (the correct) direction but instead they just acknowledged them being great together and Will being an asshole to Layla but still let him more or less end up with her. I like the idea of seeing his dad either out of prison or while he's still there and exploring more about both characters in general. I'm forever annoyed at how quickly their fascinating backstories were glossed over for the sake of more boring Stronghold nonsense. So bottom line: more of them, less (to nothing at all) of the Strongholds. I always prefer seeing a relationship develop than anything established, but if they're older than high school then I can deal with either. Feel free to lose the entire backdrop of the high school and the movie plot altogether if you want to just follow them in college or in the real world, I'm really only attached to these two in the first place as the rest of the movie clearly irked me from time to time. Also saving the world and all that bullshit is optional. I'm sure that has the potential to bog down your plot unless you want to write about it, so you can just pretend they're regular people with some weird hobbies for all I care.  
> I hope you enjoy…

 

  
**Coming Home To Something New**  
by Moonbeam

Layla heard the whispering from the group of students sitting at the tables out the front of her shop. She didn't give it much thought, they came most days after school, to sit and drink strange coffees and teas that Magenta thought up. She froze, though, when she caught something one of them said.

"…Warren Peace!" One of the girls whispered.

Layla turned around to look at them, not even trying to be subtle as she attempted to listen to their conversation.

"What?" One of the teens demanded, glaring at her.

"Sorry," Layla said, flushing, "did you say…Warren Peace?"

"Yeah," the girl said, slowly.

"What about him?"

The girl frowned at Layla.

"I mean…do you mean… _the_ Warren Peace?"

"Yeah."

"What about him?" Layla prompted.

"He's in town; my aunt went to school with him and told me all about him."

Layla slumped down into one of the chairs. "He's back?"

"Yeah, are you okay?"

Layla shot up. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine, sorry, I haven't…he hasn't…it's been so long." Layla turned around and walked back into the shop, straight through and then out the back where her plants were growing in the long backyard behind the shop. The vines were going mad, twisting and growing until they were able to reach her toes from the back of the yard. Layla stretched her hands out until every plant in the garden was blooming and her brain was clear enough to think again.

Warren had left over three years ago, disappearing one night and no matter what any of them had done they hadn't been able to find him. She had been almost all the way through her university degree, Will was off being a hero with his parents, Magenta and Ethan off doing their own higher studies and Zach glowing subtly while he tried to work out what he wanted to do. Warren had been her constant, the only one that was still in town, still available to catch up regularly. Then he was gone, like he'd never been there without even leaving her a note.

"What's wrong?" Magenta asked, banging out of the back door.

Layla shook her head. "Nothing, why?"

"Because the herbs in the kitchen all just grew about three times their normal size."

Layla slumped down onto the outdoor couch that was next to the door and sighed. "Apparently Warren's back in town."

"Fuck."

Layla couldn't even find the presence of mind to reprimand Magenta for her language.

"Have you seen him?"

Layla shook her head. "The two girls sitting out the front mentioned him."

"So he might not even be home."

"Yeah, because two girls from Sky High would be gossiping about another guy called Warren Peace."

"Layla…"

"Nevermind."

"Layla."

"We have customers and you have scones to bake."

"Let them eat cake."

Layla rolled her eyes at Magenta and walked straight past her into the floral shop.

"What are you going to do?" Magenta asked, following after her.

"I don't know."

"Are you going to go and find him?"

"I don't know."

"Are you going to tell him?"

"Of course."

"Are you going to tell Will?"

"He deserves to know, he and Warren had been so close."

"He's going to kill Warren."

"No he isn't, Will missed him too much."

Magenta rolled her eyes.

"Go and bake something, Magenta."

Magenta opened her mouth to say something else but Layla held up her hand, bracelets jingling on her wrist – the sound comforting, to stop Magenta saying anything else. "Please?"

Magenta stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Layla tightly. "If you need to talk call me. If you need to go to a bar and do tequila shots, call me."

Layla returned the hug and then pulled back. "I have orders to fill."

Magenta turned and left leaving Layla in the middle of her work room.

After university she needed to do something and her horticulture degree only gave her so many options. In the end she'd worked at the local botanical gardens for a while and then she and Magenta had decided to open this place – it was a café/bakery (for Magenta's baking skills and her strange love of an Italian coffee maker that was obscenely expensive) and garden centre/florist (for Layla's abilities with plants). Neither of them could make a life out of their powers though there had always been talk of moving Layla onto the Hero track at Sky High. This business had been stressful, and terrifying, and the best thing either of them had done.

Layla worked until the café closed and then dragged herself off and home.

She didn't hear anything more, she didn't talk to Magenta about it or Will, she went to work and she worked as hard as she ever had in between the rest of her incredibly full and busy life.

-)(-)(-

Then on Friday night, when she was sitting alone in her lounge room, her doorbell rang. She assumed it was the pizza she'd ordered and she was looking down at her purse when she opened the door.

"Hi, Hippie."

Layla sucked in a shocked breath and looked up. "Warren?"

Warren smiled at her. He looked so much like he always had, tanned skin, red tufts of hair mixed in with the black though it was much shorter now than she had ever seen it. His dark eyes were watching her seriously. He was in a pair of old battered jeans and a red top, stretched tight over his muscles under the same old leather jacket she knew so well.

Layla had spent days thinking about what she was going to do, what she was going to say and it all fell away when he was standing in front of her. The next thing she knew she had a face full of leather jacket and soft hair. The sound of coins hitting the floor was loud behind her as she tightened her arms even more wanting him closer to her.

"Hey, hippie," he said softly, into her ear.

Layla thought about everything she wanted to say, everything she should say and in the end she just held him tighter. His leather jacket still smelt the same, like that moment when you struck a match and cinnamon. She had forgotten what he smelt like but the second she was burrowed into him again it all came back to her. She had missed him so much and she couldn't pretend she hadn't been; now that he was back. She didn't want to let him go in case he disappeared.

"I missed you too, hippie."

"How dare you," she said, stepping back, and crossing her arms over her chest. "How dare you disappear for three years with nothing? I worried you were dead, or worse, for more than three years."

Warren looked down at his feet. "I left a note."

Layla closed her eyes and turned around to stomp away from him. He followed behind her after stooping to pick up her purse and the money that had scattered out.

"You were one of my best friends," Warren flinched, "and you left with a note that said, and I quote, because I memorised your note, _Layla, have to leave, I'll be back in a few weeks. Warren._ But a few weeks passed, and then months and now it's been three years."

"I'm sorry," Warren said, ducking his head again.

"That's…that…I missed you and I worried about you."

"Time just passed."

Layla felt his words like a punch to the gut – she was well aware of the time passing.

"So," Warren said, his eyes locked on something behind her. "You and Stronghold got back together."

"What? Why?" She twisted around to look at the…whatever had captured her attention to find a picture of her with Will and Adam. "Oh."

"I'm glad for you," he said, voice strangely emotionless.

She turned around to look at him. She knew she could take this as an out but she wouldn't do that to Adam or to Warren. "Adam isn't Will's son."

Warren stared at her.

"He's your son."

"What?" the tips of Warren's hair combusted into flames and Layla knew she had completely shocked him – he had too good a grip on his abilities to have lost his control over anything else. "How?"

Layla flushed. "Are you trying to tell me you don't remember the night before you left when we slept together? Then you disappeared by the next morning and none of us, not even Mr and Mrs Stronghold, could find you."

"I'd just slept with the girl my best friend was in love with…I'd just slept with my best friend, it was the stupidest thing I'd done up until that point in a series of stupid life choices."

"I'm going to ignore the fact that you just called our son a mistake and remind you that Will and I had been broken up for years, years, at that point and I was right there choosing to sleep with you. Or have you forgotten that."

"I didn't mean anything about…him."

"Adam, his name is Adam."

Warren nodded, his eyes going back to the photo. "He looks pretty comfortable with Will."

"Adam loves his Uncle Will."

Warren took a step back. "I'll leave you to it then."

Layla watched him turn, take a few steps away from her and then grunted in frustration. She reached out to the plants in the front yard and called them over to bar the door. Warren yanked at the handle and then turned around to glare at her.

"I could burn my way out."

"But you won't."

"How do you know that?"

"Have you changed so much in three years?"

Warren's shoulders sagged and he turned around to look at her.

"You aren't allowed to run away again."

"I'm not running away."

"Fine, you're not allowed to leave. He'll be home soon."

Warren took a step back and Layla caught the flash of terror on his face.

"Warren?"

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why should I stick around?"

Layla took a sudden gasping breath and then realised that this was Warren reacting. He'd had no idea and she'd just thrown a three year old son at him. He was reacting to her and this wasn't how he was. She had known him, she had known him better than anyone – he had been her best friend for years before he'd disappeared and she knew this wasn't how he would feel, did feel, about family. When he felt cornered he lashed out and she felt that same old blanket of calm that she'd always felt when he freaked out and grew prickly and she followed him into the fight just to bring him out of it again. She wasn't even sure if it would work this time but she didn't know what else to do.

"Because you have a son that you have never met."

"And he doesn't need me in his life; he has Will, why would he need a screw-up who has nothing to offer him?"

Layla grabbed his wrist, his skin warm beneath her fingers in a way she had forgotten felt so good. She yanked him until he followed her through the house to the little room that had been a study once upon a time. She pushed the door open. It was now full of little boy things – there was a rocket hanging from the ceiling and an overabundance of yellow since that was Adam's favourite colour.

She dragged him over to the photo board that was above his chest of drawers where his changing mat had been until recently.

"That's me." Warren said in a small voice. Layla stared at him; she wasn't sure what to do with him like this – she had never seen him like this.

"He's too young to understand why you're away but he knew you were and he knows who you are. He sees these pictures and knows that you are his father."

Warren's hand went slack in hers. When she turned around he looked like she'd hit him with something heavy.

"Warren?"

"He knows who I am?"

"Of course he does, you didn't know about him, you left before you could know about him. You didn't choose to leave him. Why would I try to hide you from him?"

"Because I don't deserve…anything."

Layla threw herself at him, wrapped her arms around his shoulders and held him close. His arms wrapped around her like vices, making her ribs ache but she gripped him back just as tightly.

"What do you mean?"

Warren broke away from her, taking a few steps back and folded his arms over his chest.

"Why don't you think you deserve to be part of your son's life?"

Warren's face grew mulish and Layla sighed.

"Warren," Layla started, and then stopped when she saw the look on his face. "Why did you leave?"

"I needed to go and spend some time with people who had never heard of Barron Battle or Warren Peace."

"Where did you go?" Layla knew that wasn't the whole story – Warren was a bundle of tells whenever he lied or obfuscated. She knew pushing him at the moment would do the exact opposite of helping.

"Tibet," he smiled. "I couldn't be any more cliché I know."

"For three years?"

"Three months, then I backpacked through Europe for a while, lived in Africa teaching children to speak English for a few months. Went to Australia and worked as a shearer going from farm to farm and fruit picking. Then I went to New Zealand. I've been there for the last year."

"You always wanted to travel."

"No one knew who I am."

"You're Warren, you were never your father's son to me."

Warren's eyes flicked away from her and looked around the room. "What's his full name?"

"Adam Luke William Peace."

He frowned at her fiercely. "Luke for my dad and William so my own surname doesn't disappear."

"You shouldn't have given him my last name."

Layla shrugged. "I'm traditional."

"You're a hippie."

"I can be both."

"Can I leave now?"

"Are you leaving the house or town?"

"The house, I'm staying with the Cho's."

"Are they still living around the corner from the restaurant?"

"Yeah."

Layla nodded. "You will come back right; you'll come to meet him?"

"I need time."

"I know you didn't know about this or expect it but he wants to know you."

"He deserves better," Warren said, and slipped out of the room.

Layla trailed behind him even though she knew she wasn't going to try and stop him or even say anything else to him.

-)(-)(-

Three days later, Layla opened the door while Adam sang along with the song on the TV.

"Hi," Warren said, his eyes flicking past her and then back to her face. "You were right."

"I know."

He rolled his eyes at her.

"I thought I'd catch you alone."

"You just said I was right."

"I'm not sure if I'm ready to meet him."

Layla grabbed his wrist and pulled him into the house. "No time like now."

"Layla, I don't know how to do this."

She turned back around and hugged him quickly. "You were always so much more capable than you ever thought you were. Come on."

Layla pulled him into the lounge room so that they could both see Adam where he was sitting on his little chair pulled up to the coffee table and eating his snack while Peppa Pig introduced her family. She turned to look at Warren whose face was shut down and expressionless as he stared at his son. Layla knew not to worry about the expression on his face – he was too good at hiding his thoughts there. She had always known to look at his eyes to see how he was feeling – they were the best place to see what he was feeling or thinking.

Layla couldn't help but smile at the look in his eyes – a sweet mix of wonder and terror.

"He'll be pretty focussed on Peppa Pig for the next few minutes," Layla told him at a whisper.

"He…"

"Looks like you?"

Warren nodded.

"I have photo albums and books and notes, I've documented his life knowing…hoping, you were going to come back."

"Maybe I should look at them instead of this. This is too fast."

"You have about two minutes, just until Peppa's fish meets the other goldfish."

Warren was still as he watched Adam, his eyes flicking over Adam.

As soon as the show was over Layla put her hand low on Warren's back and pushed him into the lounge room proper.

"Adam, turn that off, I have someone for you to meet."

Adam turned to her but didn't look at her, his eyes focussed on Warren next to her.

"You're Daddy," Adam said, standing up. "Mummy put your photo on the wall."

Warren stayed frozen next to her. Layla stepped around him and picked Adam up, allowed him to clutch at her neck and look Warren in the eye.

"Hello," Adam said.

"Hi," Warren let out on a breath.

Adam dropped his head down onto Layla's shoulder and smiled at Warren.

"Do you like play dough?"

"I…yes?"

"I was going to play with my play dough this afternoon; you can play too if you like."

"Okay," Warren said, quietly.

Layla put Adam down to collect the mats, dough and other bits that they would need so that they could all sit around the table and play. For the most part this meant that Layla would have to roll out the dough only for Adam to 'borrow' it and cut it up. Warren followed her lead and Adam threw her over for Warren. She played with her own and watched Warren try to interact with their son. Warren wore a perpetually bemused expression that made Layla want to smile, to hug him again…to kiss him but she pushed that desire down as deeply as she could.

-)(-)(-

Warren called her the next day. "Can I come over again?"

"I'm working today so he's going to be spending the day with Will. I think…yeah, Will said come over."

"What?"

"He'll be at mine for another hour or so and then they'll be at the park down the street."

"Layla," Warren said, but Layla forced herself to keep her tone light and say a happy goodbye before she hung up.

"When did you get to be so manipulative?" Will asked.

Layla shrugged. "You two were such good friends; it would be a shame if you didn't mend your relationship."

"I was waiting for him to come and see me."

"You're both as bad as one another. You can bond over Adam."

Will looked past her and sighed. "He left."

"He didn't know about Adam."

Will's expression turned mulish and she was suddenly struck by how much he looked like his father – a fact that became more obvious the older he was.

"He was your best friend."

"You're my best friend."

"Fine, he was your other best friend."

"And I haven't heard from him in over three years. He's been back almost a week and hasn't tried to contact me once."

Layla glared at him. "Save me from men who are emotionally retarded."

"I am not."

"Then why haven't you asked Beth to marry you yet?"

"We're not there yet."

Layla let out a bark of laughter and then looked down at her ringing phone – she ignored it when she saw that it was Warren calling her. "You've lived together for almost two years and she calls your dad Pop."

Will coloured. "You know that was his suggestion."

"Right," Layla sighed. "I'm going to work, have a good day with Adam."

Will folded his arms across his chest and glared at Layla. She walked over and kissed him on the cheek before she went to Adam's room and kissed him goodbye too.

"Can I take them both?" he pleaded looking down at his Woody doll.

"No."

Adam sighed with his entire body and then went back to looking at the two action figures in his hands. She assumed that was the same as being dismissed so she walked out of the room, past Will who was still sulking and out into the sunshine.

When she arrived at work Magenta pounced on her. "Well?"

"He played play dough with Adam for about an hour last night. Then he got all fidgety and left."

"Fidgety? Fidgety how?"

"He had the same look he used to get when he'd let his hand ignite to make us leave him alone."

"Dude," Magenta said with feeling.

"He never spent time with kids. I'm surprised he lasted that long."

"Did he say anything else about why he left or about sticking around?"

"He only really talked to Adam. I think he's still in shock."

"Did he say when he was going to come back?"

"He called this morning."

"Then what are you doing here? Steph could have covered for you again."

"I told him that Will was looking after Adam and that he should come around and spend time with them both."

Magenta laughed loudly. "Oh man, I want to be a fly…well, Warren doesn't need to know that Adam doesn't have a pet hamster."

"Because he forgot about your powers?"

Magenta screwed her face up in disappointment. "I want to know how that's going. Why don't you have surveillance at your house?"

Layla opened her mouth to speak, then shook her head and turned for the florist part of the building. Steph was in there working, she did the early morning shift – putting together the first run of bouquets.

"Hey, Layla," Steph smiled, pushing her mess of black curls away from her face.

"How many today?"

"Thirty-five, it's a good day."

"Lots of anniversaries."

"Best flowers in the whole city," Steph countered, she tilted her head to look at the arrangement in front of her and then slid the last of the roses into the foam base and stood back, pushing her black rimmed glasses back up her nose. "I have one more to do for the first round of deliveries."

"Thanks."

Steph smiled and put the finishing touches on the work in front of her. Layla walked out the back and wondered what was happening between Will and Warren. She assumed awkward silences and avoidance.

-)(-)(-

Layla let herself into the house an hour after her workday finished. She had two pizzas in her arms and shopping in the car – she knew she was taking advantage of Will but he smiled whenever she mentioned it. She walked into the house, straight through to the kitchen and then had to stop when she saw Will and Warren sitting on the floor – one on either side of the coffee table. Adam was colouring at his little plastic table and completely ignoring them. She had not been expecting this when she left this morning. She was expecting Warren to be gone – perhaps with a fat lip, she was expecting Will to be annoyed, or she was expecting them to be sitting in brooding, annoyed silence. They had both always been uniquely skilled in ignoring problems and sulking about it.

"Hey."

"Hey," Will smiled. "You go shopping?"

"Yeah."

"I'll go get it from the car."

"It's okay."

"You have super strength?" Will asked.

"Fine, do it and I'll get some plates. You're staying for dinner aren't you, Warren?"

"Sure."

Layla put the meat pizza on the coffee table and set herself to putting away the groceries while Will and Warren returned to their quiet discussions at the coffee table. Layla gave Adam a single slice of vegetarian pizza and ignored the half slice Will handed him while her back was turned.

She listened to them while she was busy putting things away and tidying the kitchen and lounge room then she overheard what they were talking about and froze. Will was telling Warren about Adam – about his routines and likes, the things they did together and the things that Adam didn't like doing. Warren's eyes were sad as he listened but he was wrapped up in their conversation and didn't even notice when Layla sat on the couch behind them listening in stunned silence.

-)(-)(-

"Mummy said you could start fires," Adam said, one afternoon when Warren was over at her house – where he had spent the majority of the two weeks he'd been back in town.

"Yeah," Warren said, holding his hand out so that a flame flickered from each fingertip.

"Wow." Adam reached out to touch but Warren pulled his hand away, extinguishing the fires.

"No, you have to be careful around fire."

"Fire can't hurt me," Adam said proudly.

"He's right," Layla said, standing in the doorway. "We did a heat test with him when he turned three, he's impervious to it."

Warren looked up at her with shock. "You let him touch fire?"

Layla smiled at him. "His father is a fire starter and, with the exception of enjoying vegetables with dinner, he has no skill with plants."

"He's too young for his powers to have completely manifested."

"I know, he can't start fires, he simply can't be hurt by them either. We still do all of the fire safety things though, don't worry."

"I…" Warren paused and froze then stood. "I have to go."

"No!" Adam said loudly.

"Why?"

"I…I…" Warren shook his head. "I'll see you at swimming tomorrow."

Layla grabbed his elbow as he walked past. "What is it?"

"I just need to go."

"But, Daddy, you haven't had hugs and kisses, goodbyes don't count without hugs and kisses."

Warren turned around and scooped Adam up into his arms and hugged him tightly, face buried in Adam's neck. Adam laid a great, smacking kiss on his cheek and pulled away. "Don't forget swimming tomorrow."

"I won't." Warren said, and then he disappeared out of the house.

-)(-)(-

Layla woke suddenly late that night when her phone started ringing.

"Wah?"

"Layla, I'm sorry. I couldn't stay. I…fuck, I realised I love him. How ridiculous is that?"

"Warren?"

"I was terrified when you said they'd done a heat test with him. I remember that test, I was scared. Dad was holding my hand and I was scared that the fire would burn me."

"I wouldn't have let them hurt him," Layla said, sitting up in the bed.

"I know that."

"So, you realised you care for your son and you ran away?"

"Yes."

"Are you drunk?"

"Yes."

"Okay," Layla said, slipping back down into the bed. "Will you be honest with me about why you left now?"

"Go back to sleep." Then Warren was gone. Layla dropped the phone back into the bed and closed her eyes with a groan.

-)(-)(-

"I have to go to the shop." Layla said, looking at Warren trotting a plastic dragon over towards Adam. He looked awkward but she'd realised that Warren was completely incapable of saying no to Adam.

"Do you want me to come and help?" Warren asked, without looking up.

"No, you just stay with Adam."

Warren looked up at her, terror in his eyes. Layla wanted to laugh at him – she knew it was mean but she remembered the brittle annoyed teen he'd been when she met him and it amused her to see him scared of a three year old.

"I won't be long and you'll be doing me a huge favour, just make him a sandwich for lunch."

Warren looked down at Adam who had started attacking one dinosaur with another and growling.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm positive," Layla said, grabbing her bag and jacket. "I have my phone if you need me."

She went over and kissed Adam on the head before leaving.

She was just getting into her car when Magenta messaged her – three times. _How'd it go? You left yet? Talk to meeeee._

Layla rolled her eyes and decided to drive to the supermarket before she called Magenta back.

"So?" Magenta asked, as soon as she answered.

"I left him with Adam so that I could go to the supermarket."

"Come to the shop and we'll have coffee instead."

"I actually do need to go shopping."

Magenta sighed through the phone. "Fine, it's like you want to feed your child more than you want to gossip about the guy you developed a crush on while you were waiting for your girlhood crush to notice you, who you then became best friends with until one night you jumped him after which he ran away and you ended up pregnant. I mean, you wondered for years if he had left because of you. Now he's back and you're still not sure but he's developing a relationship with your son right under your nose. Why should we talk about that?"

"Thanks, Magenta."

"I'm dying over here, I want to know everything," Magenta said, dramatically, over the line. "He was my friend too and I thought you two were finally going to work things out and then he left and…you have no idea how desperately I want to live vicariously through you."

Layla let her head thud back against the headrest behind her. "Magenta."

"Oh come on, Layla, you have to realise how much I just want to put surveillance up in your house so that I can make popcorn and watch this unfold like a reality show."

"Yes but you also enjoy the Kardashians."

"I would throw them over tomorrow if I could put you and Warren under surveillance."

"You can't."

"Fine," Magenta huffed, "then go to the shops and leave me to create epic scenarios in my head."

"You have a busy life."

"Oh please, I don't have Warren, _Warren_ , hanging around my house."

"Which he is doing for Adam."

"Sure, sure."

"He left the morning after we had sex before I had even woken up, he won't tell me why, and he stayed away for three years. Don't delude yourself or me."

"Layla…" Magenta was silent for a long moment and then seemed to change her mind, "…okay, I'll see you tomorrow at work."

"See you then."

"You bringing Adam?"

"Yeah."

"Excellent, we can make frog cupcakes."

They said their goodbyes and then Layla hung up the phone and went into the supermarket digging into her handbag for her shopping list. She went around as quickly as she could – she knew Warren would never ask to be left alone with Adam; he'd been back a month and he was still cautious. She didn't want to push him but if she hadn't he would have continued to just play it safe forever.

Adam was completely taken with Warren and looked up to his father with the kind of awe that she hadn't seen in him before. Adam loved Will, wanted to spend as much time with him as possible and often completely ignored Layla if Will came over for a visit but the way Adam had taken to Warren was something different. She was so happy about it though. She knew they could be even closer but something was holding Warren back. She could see him wanting to step forward and do more but then he'd spook and pull away, leave them for no reason. He'd come back again, the next day, no more than the day after that and he'd act as though it had never happened. She wondered if it was still him being worried about being good enough but Adam so obviously loved him and Warren hadn't said anything since so it had to be something else.

He would come over all the time now when Will was looking after Adam. Will worked part-time with his parents while trying to save the world and he'd always been her backup, in partnership with her mum who thoroughly enjoyed being a grandmother and occasionally Mr and Mrs Stronghold who seemed to be aching for grandchildren in a way she'd never expected. Layla shook the thoughts from her head and focussed on getting out of the supermarket. It had seemed like such a good idea to push him but now it seemed like she was pushing too much.

She got everything she needed and drove back to her house, forcing herself to refrain from thinking the worst and trying to remind herself that he had her number and he would call her if things were really going badly. She arrived back at her house only to find Warren and Adam in the driveway – Adam running circles around Warren who was very slowly trying to catch his son. She let out a breath and relaxed in her car seat.

"Mummy," Adam said, waving at her, "can I help?"

"Of course," she opened the door and Adam bounded over to help with Warren trailing behind him.

"I know what you're doing, hippie," he whispered into the hair over her ear. Layla froze and turned to look at him. "And…thank you, I wouldn't have asked."

Layla smiled at him with relief. "I was worried I might have been pushing."

"Oh, you are," he said with a smile, "but that's what you do."

Layla puzzled over whether that was a good thing or not while Warren collected most of the groceries together and started towards the house with Adam following him like a little mimic. It made Layla's chest clench and she was happy but for just a moment she wondered if she was losing something she had with Adam to his relationship with Warren. She shook her head – it was ridiculous and she was happy that Warren was finally back and that they were getting to know one another finally. She grabbed the last of the bags and followed them into the house.

-)(-)(-

"Can you stay for dinner?" Adam asked, skidding to a stop in front of Warren.

Warren looked up at Layla but she smiled at him encouragingly.

"Sure."

Adam beamed at him and turned to run away. "You can't catch me, I'm the gingerbread man."

Warren looked over at Layla questioningly.

"You must know that line."

Warren shook his head.

"He wants you to chase him."

"Am I allowed?"

"What?" Layla asked, frowning at him.

"We're inside."

"So?" Layla asked.

"Is he allowed to run inside?"

Layla shrugged. "His running doesn't really count as anything more than fast walking but you can play out the back if you prefer."

Warren nodded and started after Adam and then took them both outside.

Layla had never resented Warren for the fact she was a single parent and honestly between her mum, the Strongholds, Will, and her other friends she had always had an amazing support network. But since Warren had come back it had been different – he was floating around looking for a job and working for the Cho's again but he was also doing something that had got him an apartment a few blocks over and still allowed him to visit them all the time. At the beginning she had had to encourage him, he'd been so hesitant to ask or to 'impose' on her and Adam but he'd missed so much and she wanted Adam to have his father.

Layla had to admit to herself that it was also Warren. From the time she had forced him into pretending to be her boyfriend to make Will jealous he had become one of her closest friends and one of the few that didn't annoy her after spending too much time together. She loved Magenta and Ethan and Zach but could only take them in bursts of a certain length most of the time. Will was almost an extension of her; the things that annoyed each other were simply too well known and ingrained to even be noticed most of the time. She imagined it was how siblings felt around one another. Warren had always been a different thing – there were things that annoyed her but she'd call him out and he'd do the same, she had felt his absence more than she cared to think about.

Layla opened the kitchen window so that she could listen to them playing while she cooked vegetarian spaghetti for dinner.

"Come inside and wash your hands," Layla called out of the window, when dinner was made, scooping out food for Adam and putting the other dishes on the table.

Both of them traipsed in loudly and went to the bathroom to wash their hands before sitting down at the table.

"I'm so glad you stayed, Dad," Adam said, scooping up spaghetti.

Layla watched Warren's face freeze. She knew it was the first time she had heard Adam refer to Warren as Dad and from the look on Warren's face it was truly the first time it had happened. Adam continued to eat blissfully unaware of the look on Warren's face. Layla ignored her own dinner to watch Warren as he tried to get his face to behave and return to his usual expression. It was the same way he reacted every time something set him off that had him leaving them.

She shook her head at the thought – he wasn't leaving them, he was only escaping to find his equilibrium again but she wished that he would just tell her what was setting him off – what was terrifying him. It couldn't be Adam, not really, because he kept coming back and she could see how much he generally never wanted to leave. She knew she would never find out what it was until he was willing to tell her.

Layla watched him all through dinner and knew that before she pulled out the banana egg custard with blackberries she'd prepared for desert he would have made his excuses to leave. He didn't though, sitting through a helping of custard and responding to any breaks in Adam's constant stream of conversation.

"Dad," Adam said, holding out his bowl. "Can I have more?"

Layla opened her mouth to answer and then stopped herself, waiting for Warren.

"I…" Warren looked over at Layla but she fought to keep her expression neutral. "A small spoonful."

Layla smiled at him – it didn't matter what she would have said it was important that he said something for himself. Layla reached forward to give Adam another spoonful of custard which he fell on as though he hadn't just eaten dinner. When he was done Warren smiled and said he needed to leave, Adam sighed and looked up at Warren with wide, sad eyes. Warren looked like he was about to cave when Layla scooped Adam up and settled him on her hip.

"Do you have hugs and kisses for Daddy?"

Warren looked panicked again but he pulled Adam into his arms anyway and gave him a hug and then kissed Adam on the forehead and put him back down onto the ground.

"Will you come tomorrow?"

"You're going to need to ask your mum."

"Mum?" Adam asked, twisting around to look up at him.

Layla smiled down at him. "How about we see tomorrow?"

"Okay," Adam said, sighing. "Bye, Daddy."

"Bye, Adam."

Warren smiled at Layla and disappeared from the house. Layla carried Adam back inside for teeth and stories before bed.

-)(-)(-

It had been a little over two months and Layla wanted to shake the stuffing out of Warren which went against most of her pacifist leanings.

She had always, always known he would be a great father if only he'd been there and she'd been proven right but he was still distancing himself, holding himself back from her and from Adam and she was so frustrated with him she wanted to scream. He had trusted her, he'd always trusted her but no matter how many times she asked or questioned he refused to just tell her what was wrong. She couldn't understand it – he was so taken with Adam it had become something of a conversation topic between her mother and the Strongholds. Even Steph had commented once or twice when Warren had come over to spend time with Adam in the shop's backyard; where Layla grew flowers for the shop and plants for sale. Warren had helped Adam water all of the plants – not necessarily needed but it entertained Adam for a long while when he visited her at work.

Tonight she had asked him if he wanted to stay over, on the couch, so that he could hang out with Adam the next day and she could go with Magenta to Steph's engagement party. He was sitting at the dinner table with Adam finishing desert while she looked through her wardrobe and tried to find something to wear. Knowing Steph they'd probably end up at a strip club, and Magenta would make her change if she wasn't happy with what Layla chose. She finally decided on a purple dress she'd had forever that she never wore because it was just too low cut to be really comfortable but after a couple of drinks – and she was drinking tonight if she didn't have to rush home for a babysitter or her mother, she wouldn't care too much about that.

She could hear them in the bathroom, brushing Adam's teeth while she did her hair. Warren's deep voice travelling through the walls while she applied make-up and then Adam was bounding into her room.

"Mummy."

"Yes?"

"Daddy read two stories and he did the voices."

"Aren't you lucky," she swept him up and kissed his cheek – leaving behind a smear of shimmering lipstick behind.

"Are you coming to tuck me in?"

"Do you want taco?" Layla asked.

Adam smiled widely and nodded, squirming out of her arms and starting out of the room.

Layla trailed behind to find Warren standing awkwardly between her room and Adam's. She nudged his arm to get him moving and then followed behind him into the room. Adam climbed into the bed and looked up at them expectantly. Layla walked over and kissed him on the forehead before tucking the blanket in around her chanting taco with every push of blanket to Adam's delight.

"Taco!" Adam said joyfully, when she was done.

"Goodnight, Adam, I'll see you tomorrow. Love you."

"Love you," he said back.

She smiled at Warren and left him to finish putting Adam to bed and slipped off to finish getting ready. She paused outside of the door and listened while Warren said goodnight and Adam replied to him.

"Love you, Dad."

Layla froze and in the silence she could almost see the look on Warren's face.

"Love you too," Warren said, his voice a little rough.

Layla slipped from the hallway as silently as she could.

By the time the doorbell rang and Layla left her room, all ready to go out, he had calmed down and was walking towards the door looking quite normal again.

"It's okay, I'll get it."

Warren nodded and turned to her and then froze. Layla stopped and smoothed his hands down over the dress at her hips.

"Do I look okay?"

Warren nodded and then turned around to open the door.

Layla sighed and walked the rest of the way over to find Magenta standing on the other side of the door.

"Yo, Warren you're looking dangerous as usual."

Warren smiled at her. "Thanks, you look lovely."

"I look smoking hot, you should know, fire starter."

Warren quirked an eyebrow at her but didn't say anything.

Magenta turned her attention away from Warren to look at Layla and she beamed.

"You look hot too, I mean not as hot as me but you'll do."

"Thanks."

"Doesn't she look smoking, Warren?"

Warren's eyes flicked back to Layla for a second and he had that same spooked look he had been wearing before. "You do."

"Thanks."

"We should go," Magenta said, "have to get our drink on."

"I have my phone if you need me for anything, Warren," Layla said, shaking her head at Magenta.

"We'll be fine."

"Okay, I'll see you in the morning then. I'm surprised Adam went to sleep so quickly, he's so excited about you being here for breakfast."

"So am I, have a good night."

"We will," Layla said, smiling at him as she and Magenta left.

"Well," Magenta said, putting on her seatbelt. "The two of you are still delightfully awkward."

"What?"

"Seriously, just jump him again."

"Because that went so well for me last time."

Magenta sighed dramatically. "Then let's find someone else for you tonight. It's been much too long since you had sex. It's disturbing to me."

"There are worse things."

"I know," Magenta said, seriously, "but as most of them do not impact on our everyday lives they aren't up for discussion at the moment. Your lack of sex with the tall, dark, and broody that is almost living in your house currently is the topic of discussion."

"No, it's not. A discussion needs two people and I am certainly not participating."

Magenta huffed at her. "How am I supposed to live vicariously through you if you won't cooperate?"

Layla shrugged. "Get your own life."

"Ugh."

Magenta was silent for the length of the drive and when they stepped out of the car, waving Zach off, Magenta turned around to hug her.

"I just don't want you to be miserable."

"I'm not miserable."

"Not at the moment, but if Warren's what you've wanted for ten years then you should probably just say something."

"He's worried about something and I'm not going to risk him pulling away from us when Adam only just got him."

Magenta sighed. "How very reasonable and sensible. I love Adam too much to argue with you, but I will bring this up again."

"Don't I know it?"

Magenta laughed and dragged her into the club.

-)(-)(-

In the end it all came to a head because of something Adam said.

"My Grandad is dead," Adam said, without a trace of emotion in his voice as he was sitting and looking at his perspective kindergarten teacher.

"No, he isn't," Warren said quietly.

"He means my dad," Layla leaned over to explain quietly.

Warren nodded and sat back but Layla could see the tension in Warren's body and she suddenly began to understand something of what had been going on.

The interview went on and in the end Adam happily grabbed Warren's hand while Layla double checked the information they had given already. She wasn't ready for him to go to school even though she knew that he would enjoy the challenge of it. On the way back to her house she stopped at her mother's and dropped Adam off so that he could spend some time with his Nana and she could corner Warren.

"I should get going." Warren said, as soon as she parked in front of her house.

"No," Layla said laying a hand on his arm, "we need to have a talk."

Warren looked like a scared rabbit for a moment but then he grew resolved and nodded at her. She left the car and made them both tea, as well as putting out some biscotti on a plate; not that she expected either of them to eat. She led him into the lounge room and sat next to him on the couch wondering how to lead into this. In the end she decided that the only way to do this was honestly.

"Ever since you've come back you've been holding yourself back and I haven't been able to work out what's wrong. At first, I figured it was the shock, then, I wondered if maybe you were feeling awkward about coming back but it's been a while now and you still look spooked sometimes. Then, today, when Adam talked about Dad you had the same look and I wondered if it has something to do with your dad."

"We've never talked about him," Warren volunteered, without confirming anything.

"I've talked to Adam about my dad but I never quite knew what you would want to say about your dad so we haven't discussed it."

"So, Dad doesn't know?"

"I…I'm fairly certain I'm not one of the people allowed to speak to him. Mrs Stronghold offered to look into it but I didn't think he should know if you didn't."

Warren nodded but didn't say anything.

"What do you want to do?"

"I'm not sure."

"Will you tell me about him?" Layla asked, shyly.

"You already know a lot of thing about him."

"Only what the media have reported and let's be honest the media isn't objective and they weren't his son. I want to know what you felt about him."

Warren looked like he wanted to escape but he looked down, collecting a piece of biscotti so that he could toy with it while he breathed silently next to her.

"My dad was a better man than anyone ever reported."

"I remember you wearing his suit to the dance."

Warren nodded. "He didn't need it."

"But, you'd kept it."

"It was his." Warren said simply, still not looking up from the biscotto that was steadily turning to crumbs. He shook his head and put the biscotto down and then sat back.

"So," Layla said slowly, "you and your dad were close?"

"I worshipped him."

"Oh."

"He was the best fucking dad in the world. He read me bedtime stories and did the voices, he sang to me if I had a bad dream. He made chocolate chip pancakes and knew all of my friend's names. He helped out in my classes at school and would help me buy my teachers a present every year. We would have competitions to see who could swing the highest on the swings and who could hang the longest on the monkey bars. He'd let me win most if the time. He was my whole fucking world while my mum was busy off trying to save everyone else. But while he was everything I loved and wanted to be he was also out there trying to destroy...everything."

Layla wanted to wrap her arms around Warren and never let go but she knew he was too fragile for anything like that at the moment.

"He was this horrible super villain and he was my dad then all of a sudden three days after my fourteenth birthday the terrible villain that had been terrorising the city was caught and...my dad never came home."

Layla couldn't stop herself, she threw her arms around Warren and held him so tight she wondered if he could breathe, and he let her. He just let her, tense and silent in her arms while tears streaked out of his eyes and wet her shirt. She wasn't sure how long they stayed like that but finally when her fingers were numb and her own tears had dried he twisted in her arms and her her back.

"How am I supposed to know how to be his dad when mine was Dr Jeckell?"

"It sounds like he was a great dad."

"And a terrible person."

"Do you still love him? Do you still have good memories?"

Warren nodded against her neck.

"Then maybe he can be a good father and a super villain and you just focus on the one part."

"I don't want to disappoint Adam. I...always said I'd never have kids and now I love him so much I don't even know what to do with this much...feeling."

"I know," Layla said, tightening her arms impossibly. "I felt like that too."

"But you aren't about to turn into a villain."

"What?" Layla asked, pulling back suddenly.

"The only parent I had that was worth anything was a villain and let's be honest everyone always assumed I'd follow him into that path."

"I never did. We never did, we were always sure that you were a hero or you wouldn't have helped us save the school."

"But he was amazing and he tried to destroy the city and killed people. He's in the type of prison where I have to call ahead of time and go through more detectors than you would believe along with changing my clothes and entering a power dampening room for an hour before I'm allowed to see him."

"So you went to visit him?"

"Once, when he was first incarcerated."

"Why haven't you gone since?"

"Because I don't know what to say to him or how to ask him why he did that to me; why couldn't I be enough for him, why did he have to go out there and do everything when I was home, when he knew I couldn't count on Mum? How could he have left me like that?"

Layla could feel tears prickling at the back of her eyes again. "Tell me about your mum."

"She was always away. She had to save the world, she had to save those children in China or Peru or New York but she was never, never there for me. She missed everything, from my assemblies to my terrible attempts at playing soccer. She missed most of my birthdays and would contact me days later. After he was gone she came home more often but I was basically just looked after by a string of family and friends. Then when I was old enough I started to work for the Cho's for spending money and they basically adopted me. I hadn't had that in a while and I really appreciated it but they were never really mine. They never belonged to me and I didn't belong to them, not like Dad and I belonged to one another."

"I think you should go and see him."

"I don't know if I want to."

"You really do."

"What?"

"The way you talk about him, and the way you describe him, there must have been good things about him so I think you should go and see him and ask him; talk to him about all of that and tell him about Adam."

"What?"

"I think you should tell him about Adam."

"Adam wouldn't be able to meet him; I don't want him there anyway."

Layla was suddenly reminded why she was forcing Warren to bare his history like this. "Warren, are you really worried that you'll turn into a villain?"

"I've always been worried I would turn into a villain."

"Why?"

"Because I never, not once, thought he was capable of all of that and he was, so if he was then anyone is; I am."

"No, you're not, and being a father isn't going to change who you are. He was a villain who happened to be a good father and you are a good person who happens to have a villain for a father."

"How can you be so certain?"

"Because, when I was a little newbie at school who had a foolish crush on her best friend you didn't hurt me when I used you to make him jealous and I asked you to come to a dance. You came and you wore a suit, you sat with me in a Chinese restaurant and you only burned my hand a little." Layla smiled at him. "You were sweet when you could have been cruel. I knew you were so much more than the child of a hero and a villain. You became one of my very best friends and I have relied on you ever since."

Warren looked at her with surprise.

"I have so much faith in you, and Adam loves you."

"He said."

"And that scared you?"

"What did I do to deserve something like that?"

"You don't have to do anything, you are there for him, you have come here and played with him and told him off and gone to the park and sung him songs while he's on the toilet. You have been there for him since you've been back. You don't have to do anything but be yourself to deserve it."

"Will you keep an eye on me just in case?"

"No."

Warren looked shocked.

"I have so much faith in you that I refuse to allow you not to have faith in yourself. If you were even capable of that sort of hate and maliciousness then I would never have welcomed you into my house, my life, and I certainly would not have welcomed you in to spend time with Adam. He is the most important person in my life and I will always protect him, even from you if I needed to. But, you came back and I told you, because you deserve to know him and to know that you are one of the best, most trustworthy people I have ever known. I will believe in you because I know you."

"Layla."

She shook her head and smiled at him.

"How can you trust me so much?"

"That is the easiest question I've ever heard," she said. "I know you. I've known you for almost ten years and you've proven yourself to me over and over again."

Warren sank back into the couch. Layla sat next to him, pressing her arm into his so that he knew she was here with him and she wasn't going anywhere.

"I will go and see your dad with you if you like."

"Thank you."

"Is he allowed photos?"

"I'm not sure, I'll ask. Why?"

"You can give him a photo of Adam."

"Are you sure?" Warren asked, turning to look at her more closely.

Layla smiled and curled her hand around Warren's cheek. "If he was such an important part of your life and such a good father, then he deserves to know about his grandchild."

"He was also a super villain."

"And if I needed to I would lock him in a tree trunk like Merlin but since he's in jail and he can't hurt anyone anymore I'm only going to think about the good he did as a father."

"You are such a hippie."

Layla smiled and pulled her hand away from Warren's face. "You are one of my best friends and if he was so good to you then he deserves my kindness and good faith."

"See, just like a said, a hippie."

Layla and Warren sat quietly next to one another on the couch for a few long minutes, that could have drifted along for so much longer but Layla wasn't keeping track, until he had calmed down so much that he reached out and sipped at his cold tea, nibbling at some biscotti. That's when Layla decided that perhaps she needed to ask the last unanswered question.

"Warren?"

"Mmmm?"

"Why did you leave?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"What?"

"We slept together and then you disappeared, you were gone before I woke up."

"I'd done something so stupid."

Layla tensed and pulled away from his side.

"No! That's not what I meant. I…well I suppose it was but not like that. Sleeping with you was something I had thought about way too much."

"What?" Layla asked – the despair that had hit her so suddenly morphing into hope.

"You're Layla, you had me wrapped around your finger in high school and you just kept going. You never let me go, I went to university and you still wanted to be my friend, you believed in me and helped me. I came home and you still wanted to spend time with me. I was sullen and mean and rude and you wanted to spend time with me anyway. How could I not have developed feelings for you?"

"You never said anything."

"You were dating Will – who had become one of my best friends. He loved you."

"He still does but only as a friend, we were deluding ourselves. We'd always been deluding ourselves. I love him but I'm not **in** love with him and we had been broken up for ages before you and I slept together."

"But, I woke up that morning sleeping next to my best friend who I'd just had sex with and I realised that I was such a screw up. How could I have ruined two relationships in one night?"

"You didn't ruin any relationships and if you'd just stayed I could have told you that."

"Maybe, but leaving was good for me. Going to places where no one knew me helped me realise who I am."

"And you still thought you could become your father?" Layla asked, without thinking and then grimaced but Warren shook his head to stave off her apologies.

"I never expected to be a father."

"You're a good one."

"It hasn't been very long."

"But I'm an amazing judge of character. I knew you were a good guy in the middle of a Chinese restaurant when I'd just been stood up."

Warren smiled at her.

"That's not the only reason you left though, is it?" Layla said, realisation hitting her.

Warren shook his head. "I also left to get over you, so I wouldn't come back and make things worse."

"Did it work? Leaving, did it work?"

Warren shook his head. "Nothing's going to work. Three years and I was still in love with you the second you opened the door."

Layla smiled and reached over to kiss him.

She pulled away just far enough to look up at him. "Are you staying?"

"Yes," Warren said simply, leaning over to kiss her.

**The End**

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for this prompt. It was a horrible rush to get it finished in time but I had so very much fun coming back into this fandom and writing for it. I had forgotten how much I loved these two.  
> I started writing and then all of a sudden they had a kid but I just kept going with it and then it finally made sense and gave me a chance to hit the idea of Warren’s past. I know I haven’t dealt much with Layla’s past but Warren took so much time!  
> Warren’s background came from the fact he’d kept his father’s suit and that he never talked about his mother. I just loved this possibility so much in the end so I hope you think it met your prompt.


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